Poster panel



A. L. BAUERS ET AL June 20, 1950 POSTER PANEL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1945 June 20, 1950 A. L. BAUERS El AL POSTER PANEL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1945 June 20, 1950 Filed March 29, 1945 A. L. BAUERS ET AL 2,512,515

POSTER PANEL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 #2 2 9 I? w 10 A a 42 4 Z2 l I H I |l IN .58

,Eq'gJ] E H W A I Jam;

dwrze yw.

Patented June 20, 1950 POSTER PANEL Alexander L. Bauers and Max Rosner, Chicago, Ill., assignors to General Outdoor Advertising Co., Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Apmicafim March 29, 1945, Serial No. 585,516

11 Claims.

play structure or poster panel commonly called a billboard, and has for its object the provision of an advertising display structure in which the display panel may be lowered and swung from its display position into a servicing position below and in front of the displa position. Specifically the invention relates to a structure which has the functions and appearance of a conventional billboard and in which the display panel :can be lowered and swung from its display position within a limited space in front of the billboard. A further object of the invention is to provide 'aposter panel with a removable display panel which may be easily and simply constructed and operated without any special tools or equipment to facilitate the replacement of the poster upon the poster panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a poster panel upon which the poster may be replaced without the liability of exposing the border of the display panel to defacement or soiling by the paste or adhesive which is generally used :when paper posters are applied to the display panel, or paint when the poster is painted on the 'panel.

In conventional poster panel construction a display panel is mounted upon suitable framework and surrounded by an appropriate border to display an advertisement upon the display panel. The display material exposed upon the display panel is designed for display only a short time, that is for a month or a few months, and is then replaced either by painting a new display upon the panel or by affixing new posters to the panel by means of adhesive or other means of attachment. Not infrequently three-dimensional displays are secured to the display panel and similarlyremoved and replaced after the desired time of display.

' In order to replace the display upon the display panel it has been necessar to provide scaffolding or other means of access to reach the display panel, as the panel was usually constructed as a stationary part of the poster panel structure and mounted at some height above the ground in order to make the display more conspicuous and more widely visible.

Bothbecause of the size of the display panels customarily used and the large posters used thereon, the problem of applying the posters or painting displays upon the panel while in its elevated normal display position presented a substantial problem. Even with the use of scafiolding and long handled brushes the problem was 2 one of some difiiculty, the operation Was awkward, and frequently where paint or adhesive was used the border about the display panel was soiled and disfigured by inevitable splashing and dripping of the paint or adhesive.

As the location in which a poster panel can be mounted is usually determined by considerations of visibility and trafiic, frequently the best location for display purposes requires that the poster panel structure be mounted upon a wall or in a location where the space before the panel is quite limited. Occasionally the lack of license to approach the panel except within a few feet of its foundation rendered the panel inaccessible to the use of long handled brushes and precluded the construction of scaffolding to obtain access to the display. 1

The poster panel of this invention is one designed to permit the display panel to be lowered from its display position to an intermediate position and then, in a continuing movement, to be swunga, short distance in front of the poster panel structure while it is being lowered further to the base of the poster panel structure. The

display panel-is thus delivered to a readily'accessible servicing position and the operator can reach its entire area for removal of the discarded display and its replacement.

In this servicing position the problem of controlling the application of paint and adhesive without splashing'it upon parts of the structure that might thereby'be soiled is also obviated. This enables the replacement of the display without each time requiring the renewal or refinishing'of the border.

, These and other features of the invention will be seen from the following detailed specification read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a preferred form of the invention secured to a building wall with the movable display panel in its lowered servicing position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on 2-2 of Fig. 1;'

Fig. 3 is a vertical section corresponding to that shown in Fig. 2 with the display'panel in its upper or display position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a preferred manner of securing the movable display panel to the moving frame upon which it is supported;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of the lower edge of the movable display panel showing a preferred manner of locking the movable disthe line play panel in its display position to prevent displacement;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of half of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with the movable display panel in display position;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of half of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with. the movable display panel in lowered orservicing position;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the structure shown in Fig. '7 taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a detail of the pivoted arms which support the moving frame upon which the movable. display panel is mounted;

Fig. '10 is a fragmentary horizontal section of v the guide rollers on the upper end of the pivoted arms taken on the line IU-JU'of'Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line ll-H of Fig. 1 showing the side molding support bracket.

Referring to the drawings, theposter panel structure. of this invention'comprises substantially four sub-assemblies which will Toe-separately described in the following specification.

These sub-assemblies are:

A, the molding ordisplay; panel border; B, the movable display panel;

C, the movable display panel-frame; and

D, the stationary supporting; structure to support and guide the :movable' display panel frame.

A. Molding or display panel border While the invention is shown applied to a wall 20, it is readily applicable, without affecting its principle, to a stationary framework of the familiar type employed in this art. Secured .to the wall is the border or molding aboutthe display panel shown inthis preferred form comprising the upper molding 22, the lower moldingv 24,; and the side moldings 26. 'I'heseare preferably made in separate parts and attached ashereinafter described. .To complete the molding it can more easily be made as shown in Fig. 6 where the corners 28 are made separately and applied after the other membersof the border .are installed.

The upper molding is secured to the frame member 82 against vertical displacement by means of the upper molding clips 30 (Fig. 4), and

against lateral displacement .by the clips 29 (Figs. 2, 6). The clips 30 are permanently secured to the frame member 42 and the upper molding 22 is made-with a flange which can be slip under the clip 30 and then held :in position by means of the locking pins 3iv (Fig. 4).

Similarly the lower molding canbe secured to the frame members 82 by employing a structure practically identical :with that of the upper molding and hangingthe flanged molding over the lower molding rail 32which is in the form of an angle iron and bolted to the frame member 82.

The side molding members 26 are secured similarly by means of side molding clips 34 which are secured to the side molding and slid over the side molding support rail 38 (shown in Figs. 6 and 11) which is supported on the .side moldin bracket 36 which; is secured to the wall-28 or to a suitable framework if the billboard is supported by-a framework instead of. a. building.

With these elements designed as indicated the upper molding can be slid into place and locked there by thelocking pins 3|, the lower molding then looked inte position-by means of the rails 32, and the side moldings slid into place and accompanying drawings (Figs. 2 and 3).

B. The movable display panel Within the border A is mounted the movable display panel B upon which the display is painted, posted, or, if three dimensional, mounted. It is this portion of the structure that requires frequent renewal and presents the problem to which this invention is addressed.

As shown in the accompanying drawings .the movable display panel has a face 40 whichmay be constructed of sheet metal, wood, composition board or any other suitable material upon which the desired display can be secured.

In the preferred embodiment shown the face of the panel is shown in the form of sheet metal. To the back of the face 4!) are secured the support clips 42 (Figs 4, 8, 9, 10) by which the display panel face 40 can be demountably secured to the movable display panel frame C and locked thereto by means of the locking pins 46 (Figs. 4, .9, 10).

In order to insure that the display panelis securely held in its display position adjacent the border, the display panel is fitted with locking clips M (Fig. 5) near the lower edge of the display panel, by means of which the panel can be vhooked to the hooks 20 to prevent displacement .of the lower edge of the panel when in display position.

The demountable features of construction shown in the accompanying drawings and incorporated in the embodiment of this invention are not claimed in this application but will be separately claimed in a, divisional application to be filed hereafter.

C. The movable display panel frame .The movable display panel 40 is secured to a movable display panel frame C. This frame is probably best shown in the sectional views of the The frame is constructed of the horizontal frame members 50 and the vertical frame members 52 to which the display panel is secured,v as best shown in Figs. 2 and 9 by means of the'display panel support clips 42 and the locking pins 46. Pivotally secured to the frame are the arms54 (Figs. 2 and 9). At the upper end thesearms are pivoted to the frame member 52 and are provided with the guide rollers 56 (Fig. 10). The lower ends of .these arms are free and provided with the, pivot rollers 58 rotatably mounted on the bolts or pins. Secured to the movable frame C is the cable or chain 60 by which the movement of the frame is controlled. One end of the cable .56 is attached to a suitable counterweight 52' or may, if desired, be wound upon a sheave (not shown). If the counterweight is .used it can extend over a substantial part of the breadth'of the display panel and in order toinsure its even movement and to prev.ent.,.unnecessary swinging of the counterweight, it may be provided with the 5. counterweight guide hooks"84 (Figs. 1 and 7) which are freely guided by means of the guide rails I D. Stationary supporting structure In order to support and guide the movable display panel frame C. the poster panel structure of this invention has a suitable stationary framework comprising the I-beams or vertical frame members 82 which are supported on the wall 28, or other framework by means of the I-beam support brackets 80 The I-beams are cut at 84 to form interruptions in the front rail of the beams so that the guide rollers 56 on the pivoted arms 54 may escape from the track formed by the forward rail of the I-beams in the operation of the movable frame.

' Secured to the rear of the I-beams are suitable trunnions 88 designed to receive the pivoted arm pivot rollers 58 which can pivot within the trunnions. Pulleys or sprockets 88 are secured near the upper end of the I-beams to guide the cable or chains 68 in the operation of the structure.

Finally, the stationary structure is provided with the locking hooks 90 shown secured to the lower molding 24 or the lower molding rail 32 (Fig. These hooks are designed to enter holes cut in the locking clips 44 secured to the rear of the display panel face 40 near the lower edge thereof.

Operation of the poster panel structure The movable display panel B is shown in its lowered or servicing position in Fig. 1 and sectionally in Fig. 2, while the structure is shown with the display panel in display position in Fig. 3.

With the parts in the relative positions shown in Fig. 3, the movable display panel can be unlatched from the locking hooks 98 merely by lowering the display panel. It may be pulled downwardly or the counterweight lifted and the display panel will move in its own plane downwardly and be held in that plane by the guide rollers 56 which are restrained by the front rails of the I-beams 82. As the display panel B and the movable frame 0 move downwardly the pivoted arms 54 also move downwardly until their free ends, upon which the above rollers 58 are mounted, fall into the trunnions 86. they do so the pivot arm guide rollers 56 escape fromthe restraint of the front rails of the I- beams 82 through the interruptions 84 in those rails through which the guide rollers 56 may pass.

As the pivot rollers 58 encounter the trunnions 85 further downward movement is halted and the movable display panel and frame are swung forward upon the pivots 58 in the trunnions 86, as best shown in Fig. 2. The display panel can thus be brought into a position below and a short distance in front of the display panel border.

In this servicing position (Fig. 2) the operator can readily replace any display matter upon the display panel or actually remove the panel itself by removing the locking pins 46 which look the display panel face 48 to the removable frame C.

When the servicing of the display panel has been completed the counterweight 62 may be pulled down or the display panel 48 lifted and the movements heretofore described, reversed. The display panel will pivot about the pivot rollers 58 in the trunnions 86 until the display panel is returned to approximately the plane of its dis-- play'position whereupon the guide rollers 58 will reenter the 'I-beam guides through the interruptions 84 in the front rails of the I-beams when further upward movement of the display panel will restore it to its display position.

As the display panel is drawn into its final position the locking clips 44 will engage the looking hooks secured to the stationary structure and the lower edge of the display panel thus held against displacement.

If desired, suitable handles can be fitted to the display panel or-to the counterweight and suitable locking devices provided to prevent the unlicensed movement of the display panel.

Having thus shown and described one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is intended to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

We claim: I

1. A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a supporting structure for the stationary border, a movable frame, a display panel detachably carried by the movable frame, and means connecting the movable frame and the supporting structure to carry the display panel froma display position adjacent the'border to a servicing position below and in front of the border.

2. A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a movable frame, a display panel carried by the movable frame, a stationary supporting structure to support the stationary border and to support and guide the movable frame, and

means connecting the movable frame and stationary supporting structure including pivot means movable in relation to the supporting structure by which the movable frame and display panel can be moved vertically with respect to the border from display position and swung in front of the border into servicing position.

3. A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a movable frame, a display panel carried by the movable frame, a stationary supporting structure to support the stationary border and to support and guide the movable frame, and a plurality of arms pivotally secured at one end to the movable frame and at the other end having pivots movably engageable with the supporting structure to permit the movable frame and display panel to be first lowered from display position adjacent the border and then swung forward into servicing position in front of and below the display position.

4. A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a movable frame, a display panel carried by the movable frame, a, stationary supporting structure to support the stationary border and to support and guide the movable frame, a plurality of vertical rails in the supporting structure, a plurality of arms pivotally secured at one end to the movable frame, guide rollers on the arms moving vertically along the vertical rails, and trunnions upon the vertical rails to receive the other ends of the arms for pivotal movement therein.

5. A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a movable frame, a display panel carried by the movable frame, a stationary supporting structure to support the stationary border and to support and guide the movable frame, vertical guide.- rails in'the sup orting.- structure; interruptionsg-irr the guide. rails,: trunnions secured to the guideirails, a'plurality of=arms at one end pivoted tmthemovable-frameand atthe other swingable inf-the trunnions, and means to lower the movable frame and the-arms-until the latter rest in the trunnions wherebythe arms and movable frame aretreed for swinging movement by the interruptions in the guide rails.

.6.;A poster :panel comprising a stationary border, a movable frame, a display panel carried by the-movable. frame, a stationarysupporting structure-to'support thestationary border and tosupportandguide the movable frame, vertical guide railsinthe supporting structure, a plurality of-ar-ms pivotallysecured at one end to the movable frame and havingfree lower ends, guide rollers on the arms; moving along the guide rails, interruptions in theguide rails whereby the guide rolls may be freed therefrom, trunnions secured to -theguide rails to receive the free end of the arms, and meansto: lower the movable frame and thetarms in a vertical plane fixed by the guide rails until thefree ends of the arms. engage the trunnions and then to swing the arms freed by the. interruptions in the guide rails and the movable frame and display panel to a servicing position in front of and below the border.

7..A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a movable frame, a display panel demountably secured to the frame and carried thereby,. a stationary supporting structure for the stationary border, and means connecting the removable frame-and the stationary supporting structure. by which the movable frame and display. panelare movably supported and guided by thesupporting structure so that the display panel can be lowered from a display position adjacent the border to a lower position in the same vertical plane and then swung into a position still lower andin'front of the border.

.8. A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a movable display panel, a stationary supporting'structurefor the stationary border, a plurality of armspivotally secured at one end to the display panel and vertically movable with relation to the supporting structure, and a plurality of trunnions in the supporting structure to receive the other ends of the arms to arrest their downward vertical movement and to swing the arms and display panel outwardly and below the border.

. 9. A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a supporting structure for the stationary 8 border, a movable framaa display panel mounted thereon and carried theremr:tor: the stationary border, a stationary supporting structurepa plurality of arms pivotally secured at one end to the movable frameandfree at the other end, a plurality of trunnions inthe supporting structure to receive the free ends of the arms swingably therein, guide rails in the supporting structureto guide the movement of the-display panel and movable frame in .a vertical-plane downwardly until the trunnions-receivethe free'ends of the-arms, interruptions in the guide 1211510 free thearms to swing about the trunnionsyand carry the movableframe'and display panel into a position below and in front 'ofsthe border.

10. A poster panel comprising ;a' stationary border, a movable frame, a display-panel detaehably carried by the movable 'frame,.-a.:supporting structure for the stationary ::border, means connecting the movable framezand tm supporting structure to carry the display panel from a display position-adjacent the border-to a servicing position below and in front of the border, and counterweight means totgovernthe movement of the movable frame-and display panel. i

11. A poster panel comprising a stationary border, a movable display panel; a stationary supporting structure for: thestationary border, a plurality of arms pivotally secured-at -oneend to the display panel and vertically movablewith relation to the supportin structure, a plurality of trunnions in: the supporting structure to receive the other ends of the arms to arrest their downward vertical movement and to swing the arms and display panel outwardly and below the border, and counterweight means to govern the movement of the movable frame and display panel.

ALEXANDER L. BAUER-S. MAX ROSNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 986,236 Soletchi Mar. 7,191] 1,220,722 Brand Mar. 2'7, 1917 1,394,572 Neil et a1 Oct. 25, 1921 2,125,994 Doering Aug. 9, 1938 2,242,259 Paullet May 2 0, 1941 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,512,515 June 20, 1950 ALEXANDER L. BAUERS ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 3, line 54, for slip read slid; column 7, line 54 and column 8, line 1, strike out the Words and comma a supporting structure for the stationary border, column 8, lines 2 and 3, for for the stationary border, a stationary supporting structure read a stationary supporting structure for the stationary border; lines 18 and 19, strike out a supporting structure for the stationary border, and insert the same after border, in line 17 same column;

and that the said Letters Patent should beread as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

S1gned and sealed this 28th day of November, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'seioner of Patents. 

